Photo Essay: Dua Lipa Leaves Sold-Out Crowd Smiling

By Jason Fontelieu

Every single face leaving theDua Lipa concert was smiling. The commanding stage presence of the British singer created by her glee and eagerness to put on an outstanding show tied an electrifyingly strong bond between her and the crowd. With oversized green joggers, extravagantly large hoop earrings and the dance moves of a kid partying alone in their basement, Lipa gave a show that was undoubtedly unique to her.

Dua Lipa, an English artist living in Kosovo, performed in front of a sold-out crowd at the Fillmore on Nov. 28. (Julia Lerner/Bloc Photographer).

The sync between the 22-year-old and the crowd was palpable. When she shouted for people to throw their hands up, they did. When she told them to crouch, they were at her beck and call. When she commanded the crowd to throw their middle fingers up for the unapologetic kiss-off, “IDGAF,” the crowd happily complied.

Old and new fans alike came together for the show. For 24-year-old concertgoer Claire Mulligan, this wasn’t her first time seeing Lipa live.

“[I] saw her back in March at Rock and Roll Hotel, which is also in D.C., and that’s a much smaller venue,” Mulligan said. “Her stage presence was so much improved here, you could hear her vocals on ‘Thinking Bout You.’”

Dua Lipa, an English artist living in Kosovo, performed in front of a sold-out crowd at the Fillmore on Nov. 28. (Julia Lerner/Bloc Photographer).

Freshman biology major Sydney Gittelman of this university is a newer fan of Lipa and didn’t decide to go to the concert until an hour before.

“It was so spontaneous, but I don’t regret it at all,” she said. “I had an amazing time.”

Opening the show with a bang, Lipa strutted out with the fierce banger, “Hotter Than Hell.” Her carefree, provocative hip-swaying and shoulder-dipping set a whimsically liberating tone for the rest of the show.

Lipa effectively dominated the stage during songs where she’s normally accompanied by another person. She proved on the Sean Paul collaboration “No Lie” and the Miguel collaboration “Lost in Your Light” that she could bear the weight of both acts with her confidently sultry movements across the stage.

Marteen, a 16-year-old from California, opened for Dua Lipa at the Fillmore on Nov. 28. His six-song setlist included his singles “Sriracha” and recently released “Two Days.” (Julia Lerner/Bloc Photographer).

Throughout, she displayed unique on-screen visuals for each song.

“I love the close-ups of her face playing in the background,” said 26-year-old concertgoer Sonya Boldaji in reference to the visuals of Lipa blowing kisses during “Blow Your Mind.”

The connection between Lipa and attendees was most potent when she stood in the crowd to sing “Be the One.”

“We have a friend who saw her in Chicago who said that the crowd only got lit for ‘New Rules,’” Mulligan said, “but you definitely didn’t feel that here.”

The show finished off strong with her hit song “New Rules,” which hit No. 18 on theBillboard Hot 100 this past week. The energy in the venue peaked with every voice in the building belting along to Lipa as she jumped around in pure and utter glee.

Her concert took place at theFillmore Silver Spring Nov. 28, on her self-titled Tour, in support of her debut album, “Dua Lipa.” The tour will continue until April 18 on her European leg of the tour.

Featured Photo Credit: Dua Lipa, an English artist living in Kosovo, performed in front of a sold-out crowd at the Fillmore on Nov. 28. Her self-titled album was released earlier this year. (Julia Lerner/Bloc Photographer).

Jason Fontelieu is a freshman journalism major and can be reached at jcf037@comcast.net